Monday, December 22, 2014

CELEBRATING ANOTHER GREAT YEAR FOR THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
(U.S.A.) OFFICE OF PUBLIC WITNESS

Dear Friends of Justice Advocacy Work and Ministry:

I am thankful for your support of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC. We could not do our work
without you. I am writing you to give a few updates on our work this past year
and a brief look forward.

In 2014, we completed a three-year initiative to focus on
youth and young adults. Thousands of youth and young adults were impacted by
our efforts. We will share an impact study with the denomination during the
first quarter of the year. Due to the great success of our three-year
commitment, we are launching a second phase of our initiative with more of an
emphasis on justice advocacy training and leadership. Training young adult
justice advocates and activists to engage in coalition- and movement-building
in local communities will be the new emphasis of this work. This process is
already being implemented through our Internship, Summer Fellowship and Young Adult
Volunteer initiatives and will continue to grow.

For more than 20 years, Presbyterians have traveled to the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness for our monthly Second
Tuesday briefings. Given the access to technology by so many persons across the
globe, we are now preparing to launch a series of online tools that will assist
us in inspiring, equipping and connecting Presbyterians and others to stay
abreast of the latest policy and political information. You will have an
opportunity to engage our advocacy partners, staff and officials via a series
of forums. We will also have specific conference calls for identified issue
advocates. There will be no standard day or time for these events, but rather
will be scheduled when the issue demands it and to serve people in various
times zones and availability. We will hold these events at least twice a month
and you should be able to participate through your telephone and/or computer.
Notices of monthly events will be published on our media resources, such as our
email list, Facebook, and Twitter.

Compassion, Peace
and Justice Training Day and Ecumenical Advocacy Days

The U.S. makes up only five percent of the world’s
population, and yet we incarcerate a quarter of the world’s prisoners. With
private, for-profit prisons that incarcerate, but fail to rehabilitate, the
United States’ “justice system” fails to achieve justice on multiple levels. A
failing public education system, eroding worker protections, and a minimum wage
that traps families in poverty has left persons vulnerable to the desperation
and behaviors that lead to incarceration. Militarized police forces that
racially profile, while killing innocent children of color, further exacerbate
a problem where private investors are permitted to profit from the
incarceration of human beings.

We erect fences to keep persons from crossing our borders
while creating the very economic and political turmoil, oppression and violence
that leads people to migrate in the first place. We use our purchasing power to
support companies that employ slave labor and buy products that contain
conflict minerals. It is time to build a
movement to achieve systemic changes that releases the prisoners (literal and
figurative) from the bondage of unjust laws and leadership.

Two events comprise our Advocacy
Training Weekend. “Compassion, Peace and Justice (CPJ) Training
Day” is a one-day Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-focused training event
that provides interaction and information regarding the work of the
denomination. Held at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, on
April 17, 2015, together we will share worship, fellowship, education,
networking, and training in order to better engage Presbyterians in the work of
building a movement for justice.

CPJ Training Day precedes Ecumenical
Advocacy Days (EAD), which brings together 56 ecumenical
organizations to sponsor a “how-to” advocacy-training event. Together, “we will
confess our personal and corporate failure to break the chains of poverty,
racism, and greed institutionalized in our laws, economy, and social behaviors
that collude to perpetuate human exploitation and strip people of their civil
and human rights.” Advocacy Days will take place April 17-20, 2015.

Join the Advocacy
Training Weekend beginning with Compassion, Peace and Justice Training Day
on Friday, April 17, 2015, at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church and stay the
whole weekend for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, which will start on Friday evening,
April 17, at the Doubletree – Crystal City, VA (just across the river). The
weekend will conclude with lobby day on Capitol Hill on Monday, April 20, 2015.

We have drawn over 300 Presbyterians to these events each
year since 2011. We are hoping to bring more in 2015. Please register today and
share the information found about the Advocacy
Training Weekend with your friends, church groups, Presbyteries, Synods and
other congregations in your community.

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the
U.S. Senate have passed the ABLE Act, which will “unlock the doors of
financial freedom” for people with disabilities and their families, who
must either be independently wealthy or live in poverty in order to receive the
support and services they need. The President is expected to sign this bill
into law – perhaps the most important stride forward in legislation for people
with disabilities since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) itself. Read
more from our partners at the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition’s (IDAC)
Facebook
page.

I give thanks each day for the way God has blessed this
ministry and for you, who are our partners in ministry and mission. May the joy
and peace of this season be yours and may we move into a New Year with hope and
thanksgiving.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church
(USA) rejoices in the news of the release of US citizen Alan Gross from prison
in Cuba, along with the release of Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, and
Ramón Labañino, three Cubans being held in prison in the United States.The release of these prisoners has opened
the way for historic changes in US policy towards Cuba.

“The release of Alan Gross and the three Cuban prisoners is
an example of how nations can find common ground.When there is a will to live as true
neighbors as Jesus Christ has taught us, we find a way towards justice and reconciliation,”
Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Office of Public Witness stated.

The announcement by President Obama of momentous changes in
US policy towards Cuba is welcome news to all who have been working towards the
normalization of relations with Cuba.The Presbyterian Church USA has been advocating for changes in policy
towards Cuba for over 50 years. Most
recently the Office of Public Witness has organized religious delegations from
Cuba, led a coalition of denominations and faith based organizations calling
for a change in policy towards Cuba, and organized meetings with members of
congress and the administration urging an opening of relations between the two
countries.

In 2011, the Obama administration credited a delegation of
religious leaders from Cuba and the United states, organized by the Office of
Public Witness, with influencing an ease of restrictions on travel and
remittances to Cuba.Presbyterian
pastors who were once part of the PCUSA before the revolution were unable to
collect their pensions due to the policies of the economic embargo.After meeting with the delegation, the
administration allowed the pastors, many of whom were elderly and alone, to
collect their much needed pensions.

“The record will show that our work on building better
relations between the United States and Cuba is faithful to the policies of the
Presbyterian Church (USA).Over the
years, we have consistently called on our nation’s leaders to end the embargo
and find common ground,” said Rev. Nelson.“Our faith partners on the ground in Cuba have suffered significantly
due to the failed policies of the past.The Obama administration has taken a major step to reunite families and
open doors to broader opportunities and a new way forward.”

The Stated Clerk of the PCUSA, Rev. Gradye Parsons, recently
participated in delegations to Cuba and Washington along with the Reverend John
L. McCullough, president and chief executive officer of Church World Service,
and Rabbi Elhanan “Sunny” Schnitzer, executive director of the Cuba-America
Jewish Mission, in order to urge officials to release Alan Gross and the three
Cubans.The Stated Clerk’s statement on
their release can be found at http://www.pcusa.org/news/2014/12/17/pcusa-stated-clerk-lauds-historic-action-cuba/

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is proud to announce that Luis Lopez Acabal was able to leave the protection of Sanctuary at University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, Arizona on Friday, December 12. He is one of nine immigrants this year to shield themselves from deportation as part of the new Sanctuary Movement. From September 4 of this year to last Friday, 100 days exactly, Luis lived inside University Presbyterian to prevent his deportation and separation from his family. Luis is eligible for deportation relief through the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) Program, announced on November 20, because he is stepfather to his wife Mayra’s two children.

J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness stated, “We greatly rejoice in this good news. It sends a signal that the work we do in Washington, D.C., in local congregations, and across the denomination is necessary when our immigrant brothers and sisters are being denied human dignity and full inclusion in society. Luis, his family and the congregation of University Presbyterian demonstrated courage and a deep faith conviction by claiming the power of sanctuary. It is this type of courage that will make the PCUSA more relevant in these times.”

Our delegation with Luis, Rev. Ledermann, and church members.

A delegation of Presbyterian leaders, including Rev. Gradye Parsons (PCUSA General Assembly Stated Clerk), Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II (PCUSA Office of Public Witness Director), Teresa Waggener (PCUSA Office of Immigration Director), Rev. Toya Richards Jackson, (Office of General Assembly Associate for Communications), Randy Hobson (Office of General Assembly Web Services Coordinator) and AmyBeth Willis (Office of Public Witness Young Adult Volunteer), met with Luis, Mayra, Pastor Eric O. Ledermann, and congregation and community members on Thursday, December 4 during their Immigrant Solidarity Pilgrimage to the border.

Luis left Guatemala at the age of 17, fleeing because a local gang threatened his life. He applied for asylum, but was denied. Here, he has made a life, working in maintenance in schools. He fell in love and married Mayra Canales, a legal resident from Mexico and mother of two U.S. citizen children, one of whom has autism. Luis has become father to her two children, Kevin (5) and Kimberly (2). He is the sole breadwinner for the family, allowing Mayra to act as a full time caregiver for their children. Kevin has thrived in the new family setting and some of his autism-related behaviors have diminished. Luis’ support as a loving husband and parenting partner has made a huge difference in Mayra’s battle with depression and anxiety. When Luis was ordered to leave the country, University Presbyterian stepped up to provide Sanctuary to him. The congregation has embraced him and his family for 100 long days, recognizing that his deportation threatens not only his life but the wellbeing of his family.

Luis is happy to be home, but remains in legal limbo as he waits to apply for the new deferred action program, which grants temporary relief from deportation and a work permit. In reflecting on this great news, Rev. Eric Ledermann, pastor of University Presbyterian said, “I am thrilled that Luis gets to go home and be with his family. However, our work is not done. The President’s Executive Action is temporary and we still have a lot of work to do to fix the broken immigration system.”

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Jesus was born in Nazareth under an edict to kill boy babies. Because of this, he and his family fled to Egypt. After two years as an undocumented immigrant in Egypt, he returned home to begin his earthly ministry. The story of Advent is the story of our Savior’s migration to avoid death and persecution from earthly powers that threatened the life of our Savior. Like Jesus, many undocumented immigrants todaycross the border of the United States in order to flee oppressive forces in their own country. Abuse at the hand of border patrol, invisible fences, anddetention centers supported by restrictive laws and racial profiling await them. We preach, sing, and pray about the baby in the manger during this Advent season, however the story of Jesus’ birth is one of cultural alienation.

This week, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is engaging in an Advent Solidarity Pilgrimage as part of our commitment to Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Teresa Waggener, Director of thePC(USA) Office of Immigration Issues; and J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witnessing Washington, DC, are leading a delegation this week (December 1-4) to study, engage, and explore ways to strengthen the Presbyterian connection to immigration issues. Presently, three of the eight congregations across the country sheltering immigrants in Sanctuary are Presbyterian:

Southside Presbyterian in Tucson, AZ

University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, AZ

West Kensington Ministry at Norris Square (PCUSA) in Philadelphia, PA

“Our vision is to introduce persons to the struggles related to immigration while building a contextual framing around globalization and theological framing around creating the beloved community. Through this trip, we seek to further build a significant Presbyterian network of immigration advocates in the United States," said J. Herbert Nelson.

Follow the rest of our trip on our Facebook and Twitter pages at #presbysanctuary and #journeyinginhope.

Monday, December 1, 2014

In 2010, the
PC(USA) General Assembly called on us to become and “HIV and AIDS Competent
Church,” to engage in programs that “reduce stigma, discrimination, and fear of
persons who have been diagnosed as HIV positive,” and to support public
policies that promote treatment and prevention.Specifically, the Assembly called for increased federal “funding for
critical HIV and AIDS research including research focused on (a) infants and
children, (b) the risk behaviors of teenagers and comprehensive sexuality
education curriculum for teens, and (c) underreported, indigenous, and
special-needs populations.”

An overwhelming consensus of research shows that providing clean
syringes (needle exchange programs) to injection drug users is a highly
effective way to prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C, and is credited
with reducing the rate of new HIV infections among injection drug users by 80
percent. Additional research shows that syringe exchange programs do not
increase the numbers of injection drug users, and reduces long term health care
costs that occur with the medical needs of people with HIV and/or Hepatitis C.

Needle Exchange is one of the key public health interventions that
we need to implement a long-term strategy to end AIDS.But in 2012, Congress reinstated the ban on
using federal funds for needle exchange programs. The ban on federal funding
for syringe exchange was originally adopted in 1989 but was finally lifted by
Congress in 2009. Without a discussion or legislative debate, the language was
slipped into the spending bill before advocates knew what was happening. Contact
Congress and tell them to reverse the ban.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is on the record in support of
Needle Exchange Programs – in 2000, the General Assembly approved an overture
“advocate[ing]… for lifting the ban on the use of federal funds to support
needle exchange programs [and] mandate[ing]… work to remove barriers that keep
drug injectors at unnecessary risk for HIV disease and Hepatitis.”

NOTE: If you have not submitted comments on the EPA's proposed Carbon rule, you may still do so by the end of the day on Monday, Dec. 1, at our Action Center.

December 1,
2014

Environmental
Protection Agency

Clean Power
Plan Proposed Rule

1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington,
DC 20460

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602

Dear
Administrator McCarthy:

First, let
me begin by thanking you for meeting with my colleagues and me the week before
Thanksgiving in the Faith Leader meeting at which we delivered thousands of
comments on the EPA’s Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule from concerned people of
faith. I am truly grateful for your leadership of the Environmental Protection
Agency and your proactive approach to protecting the Creation with which God
has blessed us.

Adding to
that cloud of witnesses and representing the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the highest deliberative body in this
denomination, I am writing to support strongly the EPA’s Clean Power Plan
Proposed Rule, which will limit carbon dioxide emissions from existing power
plants.Knowing that carbon pollution is
the leading cause factor in global climate change, that the U.S. economy has
historically been the largest greenhouse gas emitter, and that power plants are
the single largest contributor of such pollution in the U.S. economy, we
believe that this rule is essential for addressing global climate change.
Climate change is one of the most pressing moral issues of our time,
endangering the well-being of current and future generations and all of God’s
creation.

In 2008, the
218th General Assembly wrote:

With our Lord, we stand with the ‘least
of these’ and advocate for the poor and oppressed in present and future
generations who are often the victims of environmental injustice and who are
least able to mitigate the impact of global warming that [is falling]
disproportionately on them.

As citizens of the U.S., which has
historically produced more greenhouse gases than any other country, and which
is currently responsible for over a fifth of the world’s annual emissions, we
implore our nation to accept its moral responsibility to address global warming
[through public policy, as well as through our own actions individually and as
communities]…

As advocates for justice, we reject the
claim that all nations should shoulder an equal measure of the burden
associated with mitigating climate change. Industrialized nations like the U.S.
have produced most of the emissions over the last three centuries and deserve
to shoulder the majority of the burden… (The
Power to Change: U.S. Energy Policy and Global Warming, approved by the
218th General Assembly of the PC(USA))

This policy
statement went on to outline numerous policies that could and hopefully will
yet be employed to achieve the goal of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions
(many requiring an act of Congress). At the time, we called for a national
response to climate change that would be based on the best available science,
would mitigate the worst impacts of increased prices on people living in
poverty in the U.S., and would provide ample adaptation support for the poorest
and most affected communities around the globe.While it is not in the EPA’s jurisdiction to accomplish all this, the
Clean Power Plan is an important step in the right direction.

Further, our
most recent General Assembly “affirm[ed] the vital importance of sustainable
development through faithful stewardship of natural resources and the
Precautionary Principle. Such methods of preventing irreversible ecological
impacts are part of the basis for a responsible, moral, and
scientifically-informed human flourishing, affirming the sacred in societal and
creation care, and protecting the earth for future generations.” Clearly,
a Clean Power Plan is vital to the principle of sustainable development and
future energy decisions should be strongly advised by the Precautionary
Principle.

We know from
our global church partners that climate change is already changing life on earth,
as we know it. Multi-year droughts in some areas, sea-level rise and extreme
flooding in others, are impacting communities and people around the world,
particularly those who are most vulnerable, lacking the financial and
technological resources required to adapt to a changing climate. Climate change
is also already impacting global agriculture, both food supplies and prices.
Reducing hunger and alleviating poverty are key concerns for the Church. Yet, we
know that climate change is increasing the need and reducing our capacity to
respond to it effectively.

By setting
limits on the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in our economy,
the proposed rule will not only begin to reduce the U.S. economy’s contribution
to this overwhelming problem, but also will improve public health by decreasing
the number of unhealthy air days.Too
often, the people that bear the burden of harmful emissions are communities of
color and low-income families.By
reducing our emissions from existing power plants, we will be cleaning up the
air that was gifted by God, so that all may breathe freely.

If we hope
to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and protect communities around
the world, reducing carbon emissions from power plants must be a top priority
for our country.The proposed rule will
make important progress towards that goal while still allowing states the
flexibility to implement standards in ways that make the most sense for their
economies and power needs.

Climate
change is already affecting all of us.But mostly, it will affect our children, our grandchildren, and our most
vulnerable neighbors, if we fail to take bold action now to curb its worst
impacts.As Presbyterian Christians, we
believe that we have a moral obligation to leave our children a healthy and
safe world and to care for our neighbors.This proposed rule is an important step on the path to meeting that
obligation.

About Me

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness is the public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Its task is to advocate, and help the church to advocate, the social witness perspectives and policies of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The church has a long history of applying these biblically and theologically-based insights to issues that affect the public — maintaining a public policy ministry in the nation's capital since 1946.
Reformed theology teaches that because a sovereign God is at work in all the world, the church and Christian citizens should be concerned about public policy. In addition, Presbyterian forefather John Calvin wrote, "Civil magistry is a calling not only holy and legitimate, but by far the most sacred and honorable in human life."